Even Blood Is Thicker
by DaCountOfMonteCristo
Summary: Finally, Ed has made it out from the other side of the gate only to find out that a close friend has died and that another, Colonel Roy Mustang, has gone missing! So, he decides to track him down and on the way he finds some very unlikely allies and even more so unlikely foes...Stay tuned.
1. Chapter 1 - Prodigal Son

Chapter 1 – Prodigal Son

~ PM, Review, Follow and Favorite … If you wish ~ Warning: Might mix a little bit of Brotherhood in with the 2003 series although this mainly non-brotherhood.

* * *

_Story begins with Ed on the other side of the gate (our side-Germany) and he is in his Amestris clothes talking to Noah (Rose from Liore) in what seems to be the end of an argument. Noah is talking first._

"You don't have to leave Ed!"Oh shit, thought she must be mad. No-she_ is_ mad but he doesn't understand why. He told her that he was going to leave when he got his chance, but her she is fighting him over it anyway.

"Noah…This isn't my home and I told you this. I have to leave." Noah is shaking a little know.

"But I love you Ed! Just stay here and we can be a family, the family you never had, the family your father took from you!" Ed looks at Noah.

"That's the reason why I _have to_ leave Noah, because you're wrong." Noah looks at him obviously confused."

"Then you obviously weren't listening…"

He proceeds to throw his trademark red jacket over his shoulder.

"I always had a family." Now Ed starts to walk towards the gate but Noah holds his automail hand before he leaves.

"J-Just don't say this is goodbye". Ed nods and continues to walk through the portal and the last thing he sees is a single tear fall on her face. The guilt shook him, but it was worth it he was finally home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Not really the welcome home I expected". Ed sighs as he surveys his surroundings and notices that he is on the outskirts of an all too familiar town. He then smirks a little.

"Liore, huh"- Once again, as if determined by fate Ed finds himself in the very city whose destruction he cause almost single-handedly. Regardless, Ed continued his journey to the city… Whether he really wanted to, is a totally different question.

To his surprise, upon arrival he notices that the city is in much better shape then the condition he left it in after his, uh, _ordeal._

"Rose must be doing a great job here… I wonder how she is doing." He ponders this until his train of thought is broken by a familiar face.

"Yo, Fullmetal!" No one has called him that in _a long time _he thought. He turns around to the person calling his name and notices that the old man from the diner is the man who called him.

"Hey old man! How've you been?" Says Ed as he sits down at the diner marveling over that clock Al fixed, what seemed like an eternity go.

"As you can see Liore doing great these days since Rose took over". Ed pauses for a moment to think-

"Rose… Where exactly is she old man?" The man stops cleaning his glass and gives Ed a puzzled look.

"Oh, so you don't know…"Ed notices that the man is having a hard time keeping eyes contact with him and…In all honesty this makes Al nervous.

"I-I mean you're _the hero of the people_ Fullmetal. I assumed Rose would of told you.

"Don't…Don't call me that, I was just doing my job." Then Ed looks at the ground with his face showcasing a great deal of guilt. The old man notices this.

"Fullmetal…What happened here _was_ your fault." Ed smirks in his usual childlike arrogance.

"You suck at this parenting stuff old man, do you have _any_ kids?

The old man growls at him.

"Whatever old man, I'm leaving now to go and see Rose-put the food on my State Alchemist tab". The man shivers a little then yells out to Ed to get his attention.

"FULLMETAL!" Ed turns his head around dismissively.

"Hmmm…What, you miss me?"

"Sorry Fullmetal but you won't find Rose at home; she's not even in Liore right now." Ed responds questionably after a short sigh.

"Oh, then were is she then?"

" I- I think it'll be best if you don't know." Ed jumps at the old man and grabs him by the collar of his shirt. The old man responds with-

"_You've gotten a bit taller"_

This only makes Ed angrier, now he is shaking the man furiously.

"Were…Is…Rose?" The old man sighs and responds hesitantly.

"She's in Central Fullmetal?"…Ed is yelling now.

"WHY?!"

"She went to a funeral." He knew that the only people Rose knew in central were her and Fullmetal's mutual friends and he didn't think that this is what Ed really needed to hear right now… Especially not from him. Ed is still yelling but you can hear the pain in his voice you would expect from someone who was only 17.

"WHO?!"

*The Old Man Tells Him*

Suddenly…Ed is very quiet and you can almost see his pupils tremble in his eyes, yet he is not moving as if his whole body shut down. Suddenly you see Ed running as quick as he could to the nearest train to Central.

"I can't believe it…I just can't believe it!" He's trembling a little now.

"I can't believe the person who died was-


	2. Chapter 2 - The Funeral

Chapter 2 – The Funeral

~ PM, Review, Follow and Favorite … If you wish ~ Warning: Might mix a little bit of Brotherhood in with the 2003 series although this mainly non-brotherhood.

* * *

_Its raining heavily as all of his Ed's friends are standing in front of the grave and Ed is secretly in the back and he suddenly walks to the front ahead of everyone and places a flower on the grave. Everyone is surprised to see him but no one speaks- suddenly Ed turns to his brother and comforts him with his hand over Al's shoulder while listening to the designated speaker. However he misses most of the speech due to his late arrival._

"…Will be greatly missed." Dammit! He thought. He missed it! Of all people _he_ missed this. He turns to his brother to see him crying. He would like to think it was a cry of happiness over his return, but he knew it was over the funeral. Regardless, he tries to comfort his brother because that what was expected of him and he knew that he needed…Yeah, 'cause _Al_ needed it.

"…Don't…Don't cry Al, this was expected to happen sooner or later."Al turns to him furious. This is when Ed noticed that he never really seen Ed without his armor- it was so different seeing Al with y'know…skin. Regardless, Al looked as if he was ready to rip the skin off of him.

"How could you say that brother?!" Ed turns from him.

"How can you say that knowing Teacher is dead?!" Now Al is huffing.

"She died and there's nothing we-(cut off by Ed)

"Al… She wouldn't want us to show weakness in her passing…All is one Al, remember? Al lets out a deep breath.

"And one is all- okay brother I understand." Ed smiles, Al missed Ed's smile…He really did and he didn't realize how much so until today.

"…So you've made it back, huh brother. How are you?"

"Fine…But something's been bugging me?" Al looks surprised. Ed has always possessed an inept ability of utterly confusing people as well as easily being utterly confused himself. Al decides to respond.

"What's troubling you?" Ed hears this then proceeds to look around at the sea of people behind him who in return haven't taken their eyes off of him since there hero's _surprise _return.

"Why isn't everyone here?" Taken a bit back by his brother's statement Al answers with-

"What do you mean brother? Everyone is here." Ed responds with-

"Yeah, everyone…Except the Colonel." This was something that Al noticed too, but wasn't sure that his brother had.

"I was wondering that myself, but I think it'll be better if I ask after this is over, this is a…Well _sensitive_ moment for everyone.

Al raises an eyebrow at the boy 3 years his elder.

"You're handling this pretty maturely brother; I'm so glad to see you home and not tore up over this." Ed chuckles then responds.

"I'm not really sad…I-I'm just happy that teacher is in a better place than this cruel world we live in." His neck suddenly starts to feel hot so he knows his brother is starring at him intensively.

"Brother, was the world you left as cruel?" Ed slightly scratches his nose, another one of Ed's _weird quirks_, regardless Al knew what it meant.

It _meant _his brother was lying…He knew this, just needed to find out about what.

"…Reality is cruel Al, doesn't matter which one or whose reality it is… That's why we must follow through and not show any wasted emotion on our part, like sadness…Teacher wouldn't want that for us, that's why I'm not sad…Basically, because I don't have the time to be." Ed smiles then leave the graveyard.

Al knew what his brother meant. The biggest things his brother says never came out as words…But as actions. Nevertheless, there was nothing he could do to help his brother who honestly needed help even more than he did despite the façade that Ed _just loved_ to put on display. Suddenly-

…You see Ed sitting behind a tree, alone crying…Just…Crying.

Ed usually talked to Mustang when he felt like this; _Roy Mustang_ was his father figure. Albeit, a _terrible_ one but his nonetheless. He then goes to talk to Al with bloodshot eyes…As Al expected.

"…Al…Al we have to find the Colonel let's go!" Ed motions to his brother, but is surprised when his brother doesn't move."

"…Al, what is it?" Ed has a feeling in the pit of his stomach eerily similar to what he felt in Liore.

"He's…Gone"


End file.
